1997 PDSL season

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Premier Development Soccer League
Season1997
1996
1998

The 1997

Premier Development Soccer League
season was its 3rd. The season began in April 1997 and ended in August 1997.

Central Coast Roadrunners successfully defended the championship, defeating the Cocoa Expos 3-2. Spokane Shadow won the regular season title, winning 14 games to 2 losses.

Changes from 1996 season

Name changes

New teams

6 teams were added for the season.

Team Area Location Previous affiliation
Alabama Alabama Saints Birmingham area Birmingham, AL expansion
Oregon Cascade Surge Willamette Valley Area Salem, OR from USISL Pro League
Ohio Cincinnati Riverhawks
Greater Cincinnati area
Cincinnati, OH
expansion
San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
Greater Los Angeles area
Glendale, CA expansion
Florida Southwest Florida Manatees Southwest Florida area Cape Coral, FL expansion
Washington (state) Yakima Reds Yakima area Yakima, WA from USISL Pro League

Teams Leaving

The

Fort Lauderdale Strikers (formerly Florida Strikers), and San Francisco Bay Seals were promoted to the D-3 Pro League
.

6 teams folded after the 1996 season:

The Wichita Blue went on hiatus for this year, and the Willamette Valley Firebirds went on hiatus for the next two years.

Standings

Central Conference

Central Division

Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Lincoln Brigade 16 10 2 0 4 34 23 +11 32[a] Division champion
2
Omaha Flames
16 7 0 1 8 42 29 +13 21 Qualified for playoff berth
3 Sioux City Breeze 16 8 0 0 8 26 38 −12 24
4 Des Moines Menace 16 6 1 0 9 29 27 +2 19[b]
5
Colorado Springs Stampede
16 6 0 1 9 23 33 −10 18
6 Twin Cities Tornado 16 3 2 1 10 29 39 −10 11[a]
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Lincoln and Twin Cities were both penalized 6 points.
  2. ^ Des Moines was penalized 3 points.

North Central Division

Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1
Mid-Michigan Bucks
16 12 0 1 3 41 24 +17 36 Division champion
2 Detroit Dynamite 16 9 1 2 4 41 20 +21 28[a] Qualified for playoff berth
3 Kalamazoo Kingdom 16 8 2 1 5 32 25 +7 26[b]
4 Grand Rapids Explosion 16 7 1 1 7 35 27 +8 22[a]
5 Michigan Madness 16 0 1 0 15 11 66 −55 1[a]
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Michigan were all penalized 3 points.
  2. ^ Kalamazoo was penalized 6 points.

Eastern Conference

Mid-South Division

Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Cincinnati Riverhawks 15 10 0 0 5 48 28 +20 30[a] Division champion
2 Jackson Chargers 16 9 1 0 6 50 25 +25 28[b] Qualified for playoff berth
3 Lexington Bluegrass Bandits 16 8 2 3 3 45 22 +23 26[c]
4 Alabama Saints 16 5 0 1 10 31 34 −3 15
5 Chattanooga Express 16 4 1 0 11 18 54 −36 13[b]
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ Game between Cincinnati and Tucson was unable to be rescheduled before season's end, games was cancelled because it had no impact on playoffs.
  2. ^ a b Chattanooga and Jackson were both penalized 3 points.
  3. ^ Lexington was penalized 6 points.

Southeast Division

Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Cocoa Expos 16 11 1 2 2 46 23 +23 34[a] Division champion
2 South Florida Future 16 10 1 0 5 42 22 +20 31[a] Qualified for playoff berth
3 West Florida Fury 16 8 2 1 5 32 23 +9 26[b]
4
Miami Breakers
16 8 0 1 7 41 24 +17 24
5 Southwest Florida Manatees 16 0 0 0 16 9 74 −65 0
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Cocoa and South Florida were both penalized 3 points.
  2. ^ West Florida was penalized 6 points.

Western Conference

Northwest Division

Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Spokane Shadow 16 14 0 0 2 37 16 +21 42 Division champion
2 Yakima Reds 16 7 0 1 8 31 31 0 21 Qualified for playoff berth
3 Cascade Surge 16 6 2 1 7 28 23 +5 23[a]
4 Bellingham Orcas 16 6 0 1 9 26 40 −14 18
5 Puget Sound BigFoot 16 4 1 0 11 27 39 −12 13[a]
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Cascade and Puget Sound were both penalized 3 points.

Southwest Division

Pos Team Pld W PKW PKL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1
San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
16 12 0 0 4 43 20 +23 36 Division champion
2 Central Coast Roadrunners 16 10 1 2 3 34 17 +17 34 Bye into semifinals as defending champion
3 Tucson Amigos 15 5 1 0 9 18 41 −23 16[a][b] Qualified for playoff berth
4 Southern California Chivas 16 3 1 0 12 16 32 −16 10[a]
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Southern California and Tucson were both penalized 3 points
  2. ^ Game between Cincinnati and Tucson was unable to be rescheduled before season's end, games was cancelled because it had no impact on playoffs.

Playoffs

Format

Central Coast received a bye to the PDL Semifinals as the defending champion.
The top four teams from every division except the Southwest earn playoff spots. With Central Coast already receiving a bye, the top two teams from the Southwest Division will play each other, however if Central Coast is in the top two, then the third place team receives a playoff spot. The Division winners would then face each other in the Conference finals.

Divisional brackets

Division Semifinals Division Finals Central Finals
         
NC1
Mid-Michigan Bucks
4
NC4 Michigan Grand Rapids Explosion 3
NC1
PSO
)
0 (1)
North Central Division
NC3 Michigan Kalamazoo Kingdom 0 (0)
NC2 Michigan Detroit Dynamite 0
NC3
AET
)
1
NC1
Mid-Michigan Bucks
3
C4 Iowa Des Moines Menace 0
C1 Nebraska Lincoln Brigade 0
C4 Iowa Des Moines Menace 4
C4 Iowa Des Moines Menace 6
Central Division
C2
Omaha Flames
0
C2
Omaha Flames
5
C3 Iowa Sioux City Breeze 3
Central Conference Division Semifinals
Semifinals
Des Moines Menace4–0Lincoln Brigade
Report
Phelps Field
Omaha, Nebraska
Semifinals
Mid-Michigan Bucks
Semifinals
Omaha Flames5–3Sioux City Breeze
Report 1 Report 2
Phelps Field
Omaha, Nebraska
Attendance: 983

Central Division Finals
Central Division Final
Omaha Flames0–6Des Moines Menace
Report
Phelps Field
Omaha, Nebraska
Attendance: 845
North Central Final
Mid-Michigan Bucks
0–0 (a.e.t.)Kalamazoo Kingdom
Penalties
4–3
  • soccer ball with check mark
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  • soccer ball with red X
  • soccer ball with red X
  • soccer ball with red X
  • soccer ball with red X
  • soccer ball with red X

Central Conference Final
Mid-Michigan Bucks
3–0Des Moines Menace
Report
Saginaw Township, Michigan
Attendance: 730
Division Semifinals Division Finals Eastern Finals
         
SE1 Florida Cocoa Expos 5
SE4
Miami Breakers
2
SE1 Florida Cocoa Expos 3
Southeast Division
SE3 Florida West Florida Fury 1
SE2 Florida South Florida Future 0
SE3 Florida West Florida Fury 4
SE1 Florida Cocoa Expos 2
MS2 Mississippi Jackson Chargers 1
MS1 Ohio Cincinnati Riverhawks 7
MS4 Alabama Alabama Saints 4
MS1 Ohio Cincinnati Riverhawks 0
Mid-South Division
MS2 Mississippi Jackson Chargers 3
MS2
AET
)
1
MS3 Kentucky Lexington Bluegrass Bandits 0
Eastern Conference Division Semifinals
Semifinals
South Florida Future0–4West Florida Fury
Cocoa Expo Sports Center
Cocoa, Florida
Semifinals
Miami Breakers
Cocoa Expo Sports Center
Cocoa, Florida

Eastern Conference Division Finals
Southeast Division Final
Cocoa Expos3–1West Florida Fury
Report
Cocoa Expo Sports Center
Cocoa, Florida

Eastern Conference Conference Final
Cocoa Expos2–1Jackson Chargers
Report
Cocoa Expo Sports Center
Cocoa, Florida
Division Semifinals Division Finals Western Finals
         
NW1
PSO
)
4 (1)
NW4 Washington (state) Bellingham Orcas 4 (0)
NW1 Washington (state) Spokane Shadow 2
Northwest Division
NW2 Washington (state) Yakima Reds 0
NW2 Washington (state) Yakima Reds 1
NW3 Oregon Cascade Surge 0
NW1 Washington (state) Spokane Shadow 0
SW1
San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
1
SW1
San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
bye
 
SW1
San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
2
Southwest Division
SW2 Arizona Tucson Amigos 1
SW2 Arizona Tucson Amigos bye
 

Western Conference Division Finals
Northwest Division Final
Spokane Shadow2–0Yakima Reds
Report 1 Report 2
Southwest Division Final
San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
2–1Tucson Amigos

Western Conference Final
San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
Report

PDSL Finals Brackets

PDSL Semifinals PDSL Finals
      
NC1
Mid-Michigan Bucks
0
H California Central Coast Roadrunners 2
H California Central Coast Roadrunners 2
SE1 Florida Cocoa Expos 1
SW1
San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
0 (0)
SE1
PSO
)
0 (1) PDSL Third Place
NC1
Mid-Michigan Bucks
2
SW1
San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
3

[1]

PDSL National Semifinals
Semifinals
San Gabriel Valley Highlanders
Penalties
3–1

Honors

References